Lyric discussion by grokslaw 

Cover art for Bonny lyrics by Prefab Sprout

No one has commented? This is perhaps one of their best and most moving songs.

The singer seems to have had a fight or falling out with Bonny: "Shaded feelings, don't believe you"

Now Bonny is gone and the singer is counting the time and missing him and thinking about the things he owes him, stole or maybe learned ("All I stole and took from you").

He has no way of seeing him ever again since he no longer lives at home and can't get in touch. He misses him and regrets all the missed opportunities.

The final shock comes at the end in that he'll never have a second chance to make up for all the lost opportunities, "Save your speeches, flowers are for funerals."

this view is completely wrong. firstly bonny is a girls name. 'when you were there before my eyes'' etc... basically, author was in a relationship with a girl called bonny. he never gave her the time she deserved, lived for his vanity 'i spend the days with my vanity' and basially built a weak defense away from her with his 'tower of foil' it is clear that he broke up with her and now regrets everything 'all my silence and my strained respect' and wants her back 'i count the hours that you slipped away'

'but bonny don't live at...

That was the direction I ws thinking originally. The use of the male pronoun "he" is confusing in this song. It's very clear both in the lyrics here and when you listen that he says "he don't live at home." I don't think I've ever known a native English speaker to accidentally mess up on the pronouns unless he's talking about "Pat" and he doesn't know the person. Anyway, very confusing. But yeah, it's clear someone died at the end. Maybe a post-op transexual during surgery. ;-)

But yeah, I'm sure you're right. Must...

some of the lyrics are wrong its not he dont live at home its "bonny dont live at home" for the second part of it. you can clearly hear "bonny", its 2 syllables and i'm sure "he" is just one syllable, unless you have a different version from itunes.

and its also no one planned it, took it for granted.

and this song could be about bonny committing suicide and he found out... though not sure..

just from the words "no one planned it, took it for granted." and "I count the hours since...